U.S. Navy: Seawater to Fuel?

[Mr. H.]

This is pretty dang cool:

US Navy 'game-changer': converting seawater into fuel

Washington (AFP) - The US Navy believes it has finally worked out the solution to a problem that has intrigued scientists for decades: how to take seawater and use it as fuel.

The development of a liquid hydrocarbon fuel is being hailed as "a game-changer" because it would signficantly shorten the supply chain, a weak link that makes any force easier to attack.

 

[mamooth]

The article is misleading, as it implies free energy. Energy is never "free". Cracking seawater into hydrogen takes energy.

The Navy patent explains the reasoning behind the research, using the nuclear reactor on a carrier to make fuel for aircraft or other ships.

https://www.google.com/patents/US7420004
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A process for producing synthetic hydrocarbons that reacts carbon dioxide, obtained from seawater of air, and hydrogen obtained from water, with a catalyst in a chemical process such as reverse water gas shift combined with Fischer Tropsch synthesis. The hydrogen is produced by nuclear reactor electricity, nuclear waste heat conversion, ocean thermal energy conversion, or any other source that is fossil fuel-free, such as wind or wave energy
---

 

[Mr. H.]

The article is misleading, as it implies free energy. Energy is never "free". Cracking seawater into hydrogen takes energy.



The Navy patent explains the reasoning behind the research, using the nuclear reactor on a carrier to make fuel for aircraft or other ships.



https://www.google.com/patents/US7420004

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A process for producing synthetic hydrocarbons that reacts carbon dioxide, obtained from seawater of air, and hydrogen obtained from water, with a catalyst in a chemical process such as reverse water gas shift combined with Fischer Tropsch synthesis. The hydrogen is produced by nuclear reactor electricity, nuclear waste heat conversion, ocean thermal energy conversion, or any other source that is fossil fuel-free, such as wind or wave energy

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Thank you, Dr. Science.


Sent from my ass using USMessageBoard.com

 

[flacaltenn]

I once got a submarine from a cereal box that was powered by baking soda..

 

[polarbear]

The article is misleading, as it implies free energy. Energy is never "free". Cracking seawater into hydrogen takes energy.

The Navy patent explains the reasoning behind the research, using the nuclear reactor on a carrier to make fuel for aircraft or other ships.

https://www.google.com/patents/US7420004
---
A process for producing synthetic hydrocarbons that reacts carbon dioxide, obtained from seawater of air, and hydrogen obtained from water, with a catalyst in a chemical process such as reverse water gas shift combined with Fischer Tropsch synthesis. The hydrogen is produced by nuclear reactor electricity, nuclear waste heat conversion, ocean thermal energy conversion, or any other source that is fossil fuel-free, such as wind or wave energy
---

"as it implies free energy"...which article are you referring to?
Nobody said it was "free".
The idea is to make synthetic liquid hydrocarbon fuel which is by far the most practical fuel for portable engines.
This process isn`t the only one either.
Coal liquefaction has been used in (3rd Reich) Germany under the auspices of project Blechhammer to make synthetic gasoline diesel fuel and lube oil throughout WW2.

Two plants in the area, Blechhammer North (south of Sławięcice) and Blechhammer South at Azoty (5 miles (8.0 km) from the[clarification needed] labor camp)[5] were nicknamed "Black Hammer" by Allied bomber aircrews.[7] The facilities were approximately 2 miles (3.2 km) apart with each occupying a 3,000 x 5,000 ft area in open country.[8] Similar to the Gelsenberg plant,[5] the Blechhammer plants used bituminous coal[1] in the Bergius process to synthesize Ersatz oil.[9] In June 1944, the United States Army Air Forces considered Blechhammer one of the four "principal synthetic oil plants in Germany",[10] and after the Fifteenth Air Force had dropped 7,082 tons of bombs on Blechhammer, the Blechhammer plants were dismantled post-war by the Soviets.[1]

(Apartheid) South Africa produced liquid synfuel when they were under heavy international sanctions....and still continue to do so today:
South Africa - Analysis - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

South Africa has a large energy-intensive coal mining industry. The country has limited proved reserves of oil and natural gas and uses its large coal deposits to meet most of its energy needs, particularly in the electricity sector. South Africa also has a sophisticated synthetic fuels industry, producing gasoline and diesel fuels from the Secunda coal-to-liquids (CTL) and Mossel Bay gas-to-liquids (GTL) plants.
Sasol has operations around the world, ranging from supplying petrochemicals to using its proprietary Fischer-Tropsch conversion technology to pursue opportunities to open GTL plants. Sasol has a 49% stake in Qatar's Oryx GTL plant (Qatar Petroleum owns 51%) that came online in 2007. The plant currently produces 30,000 bbl/d of liquid fuels. Sasol also has GTL projects in Nigeria and Uzbekistan.

late 2012, Sasol announced it would begin a front-end engineering and design (FEED) phase for a GTL plant at Lake Charles, Louisiana in the United States that would convert natural gas into 96,000 bbl/d of diesel and other liquid fuels. Sasol estimates that the project will cost between $11 billion and $14 billion. The FEED phase is expected to be completed in 2016. If the project is undertaken, Sasol expects phase one to become operational in 2019, followed by phase two in 2020.

Like it or not the internal combustion engine is not going to disappear for lack of fuel, it`s here to stay.

 

[Politico]

The article is misleading, as it implies free energy. Energy is never "free". Cracking seawater into hydrogen takes energy.



The Navy patent explains the reasoning behind the research, using the nuclear reactor on a carrier to make fuel for aircraft or other ships.



https://www.google.com/patents/US7420004

---

A process for producing synthetic hydrocarbons that reacts carbon dioxide, obtained from seawater of air, and hydrogen obtained from water, with a catalyst in a chemical process such as reverse water gas shift combined with Fischer Tropsch synthesis. The hydrogen is produced by nuclear reactor electricity, nuclear waste heat conversion, ocean thermal energy conversion, or any other source that is fossil fuel-free, such as wind or wave energy

---

Thank you, Dr. Science.


Sent from my ass using USMessageBoard.com

Yes thank you. Nothing is free.

 

[ABikerSailor]

The article is misleading, as it implies free energy. Energy is never "free". Cracking seawater into hydrogen takes energy.

The Navy patent explains the reasoning behind the research, using the nuclear reactor on a carrier to make fuel for aircraft or other ships.

https://www.google.com/patents/US7420004
---
A process for producing synthetic hydrocarbons that reacts carbon dioxide, obtained from seawater of air, and hydrogen obtained from water, with a catalyst in a chemical process such as reverse water gas shift combined with Fischer Tropsch synthesis. The hydrogen is produced by nuclear reactor electricity, nuclear waste heat conversion, ocean thermal energy conversion, or any other source that is fossil fuel-free, such as wind or wave energy
---

I read the whole article, and nowhere did it imply that there was "free" energy to be had.

It just stated that there was a way to convert seawater to hydrocarbons.

Although..............I can get where some would misconstrue it as being "free", if they look at the oceans as limitless resources.

 

[Politico]

There has been a way to convert seawater to fresh for decades.

 

[ABikerSailor]

There has been a way to convert seawater to fresh for decades.

Read the article and pay attention to the thread.

It's not talking about converting seawater to freshwater, you're right.........they've been doing that for decades (at least since my first sea tour back in 1983), but rather the article is talking about converting seawater into a type of fuel that can be used by any kind of hydrocarbon burning engine.

Do try to keep up.

 

[Politico]

Well if you want to keep up. Check back in a decade maybe possibly if they can make it work.

 

[flacaltenn]

It might not be free.. But it could be real convienient if you can fuel a helicopter or fighter jet with it.
You got a dependable nuclear source on board to provide the energy -- and you don't have to carry the weight of the jetfuel with you.. This is what you CAN do if you make energy PLENTIFUL and have excess.

 

[Synthaholic]

I once got a submarine from a cereal box that was powered by baking soda..

Why do you support mass-produced toys?

 

[Moonglow]

Most technological advances are due to our military or it's contractors....

 

[netman]

I once got a submarine from a cereal box that was powered by baking soda..

Did that bring back memories..... 1950's right? Little gray submarine....made bubbles and ran in a circle....

Yo-yo's, tops, Red Rider BB gun, cat's eye marbles, mumbly peg with a Case or Old Henry pocket knife, stick ball and skates that grabbed on to your school shoes by twisting the "key".......
Do you think these kids today would even know how to amuse themselves if they lost their X box, I pad, and whatever new electronic gadget is next?